Italy’s extraordinary vinous diversity can be as overwhelming as it is exciting. These five classic grape varieties are an excellent place to start your vinous adventure, being behind many of the country’s most famous wine styles Glera: Glera is the dominant grape behind Britain’s favourite sparkling wine: Prosecco. Up until 2009, its name was synonymous with […]

Initial impressions of wine regions can often disappoint: arrival at a non-descript airport followed by a drive across a bleak light industrial landscape until hills loom into view on the horizon and vines are finally spotted. My first visit to Alsace was no exception, the drive from Basel airport across the border towards Colmar memorable […]

Believe me, I’ve never witnessed a tasting room reduced to such stunned silence. The 30 guests attending André’s two-hour Alsace masterclass in Berrys’ Pickering Cellar on Thursday sat glued to their seats even for an extra ten minutes after the session finished, open-mouthed, as if begging for more. The Alchemist of Alsace, André Ostertag, had […]